spices

"hez" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,
I do alot of Indian cooking and currently buy my spices from and old
fashioned style grocer, he sells the spices loose and you can have a
much or as little as you want. The question I have is how long do
spices stay usable for? He does not have any sell buy dates on.
Hez

There are no hard and fast rules. It depends on the spice, how old it is
when you buy it, how you store it, and so on. Spices do not go bad really,
they just slowly lose flavor over time. I use my smell and taste for judging
when a spice is past its prime and needs to be replaced.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

hez <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
==>Buying bulk spices<==

Quoted message said:

how long do spices stay usable for?

It's dependent on multiple factors: the area each is stored in, the
manner in which they are stored, the humidity (or relative dryness),
exposure to light...

http://www.mccormick.com/foodservice/content.cfm?id=10357
http://www.theherbarium.com/pages/10013.htm
http://www.astaspice.org/faq/faqconsume.cfm

The Ranger

"hez" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1109000083.225733.89710
@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

I do alot of Indian cooking and currently buy my spices from and old
fashioned style grocer, he sells the spices loose and you can have a
much or as little as you want. The question I have is how long do
spices stay usable for? He does not have any sell buy dates on.

When I buy my spices and dried herbs, I immediately place them in the
freezer and take out the amount I need. That way, they tend to stay
fresh longer.

--

[...] remember when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down 'ere on Earth!

Monty Python's Universe Song

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Ranger said:

hez <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
==>Buying bulk spices<==

Quoted message said:

how long do spices stay usable for?

It's dependent on multiple factors: the area each is stored in, the
manner in which they are stored, the humidity (or relative dryness),
exposure to light...

http://www.mccormick.com/foodservice/content.cfm?id=10357
http://www.theherbarium.com/pages/10013.htm
http://www.astaspice.org/faq/faqconsume.cfm

The Ranger

Whole spices will stay usable for a longer period of time than
pre-ground spices. You need to consider the turnover of product in the
store where you shop. It can't hurt to ask the proprietor when he/she
got the latest batch of cumin or coriander in.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

Michel Boucher <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

When I buy my spices and dried herbs, I immediately place
them in the freezer and take out the amount I need. That
way, they tend to stay fresh longer.

McCormick Food Services disagrees with you.
www.mccormick.com/foodservice/content.cfm?id=10357
"Spices should not be stored in the freezer. Freezing does not extend
the shelf life of regularly used dried spices and herbs. If stored in
the freezer, and repeatedly removed for use, condensation will form in
the bottles and accelerate loss of flavor and aroma."

From http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/hesguide/foodnut/gh1501.htm
"When preparing food for freezing, especially dishes that contain
several ingredients, it is more convenient to add all ingredients before
placing the food in the freezer. However, some spices and seasonings
change during freezer storage. To avoid undesirable changes in the food
product during freezer storage, note the following:"
- Pepper, cloves, garlic and synthetic vanilla tend to
become strong and bitter
- Onions change flavor during freezing
- Celery seasoning becomes strong
- Curry may develop a musty off-flavor
- Salt loses flavor and has a tendency to increase
rancidity of any item containing fat

The Ranger

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

McCormick Food Services disagrees with you.

My dear Ranger Unit. We are usually in accord. However, I strongly feel that
McCormick is wrong in most of what they say. Freezing all spices and herbs
is an effective procedure. I have done it for years with no discernable
negative adventures in taste or quality. The only exception I know of is
Vanilla. Vanilla beans cannot be frozen successfully.

Charlie

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

McCormick Food Services disagrees with you.

My dear Ranger Unit. We are usually in accord. However, I strongly
feel that McCormick is wrong in most of what they say. Freezing
all spices and herbs is an effective procedure. I have done it for
years with no discernable negative adventures in taste or quality.
The only exception I know of is Vanilla. Vanilla beans cannot be
frozen successfully.

Ranger, what he said...

--

[...] remember when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down 'ere on Earth!

Monty Python's Universe Song

"Charles Gifford <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

McCormick Food Services disagrees with you.

My dear Ranger Unit. We are usually in accord. However, I
strongly feel that McCormick is wrong in most of what they
say. Freezing all spices and herbs is an effective procedure.

I'll still go with McCormick on this one. Proper storage,

Quoted message said:

I have done it for years with no discernable negative
adventures in taste or quality. The only exception I know
of is Vanilla. Vanilla beans cannot be frozen successfully.

Yeah but... You're Irish -- and have a strange affinity for Guinness --
so your tastebuds were trashed from birth... <EG>

The Ranger

The Ranger said:

"Charles Gifford <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

McCormick Food Services disagrees with you.

My dear Ranger Unit. We are usually in accord. However, I
strongly feel that McCormick is wrong in most of what they
say. Freezing all spices and herbs is an effective procedure.

I'll still go with McCormick on this one. Proper storage,

Quoted message said:

I have done it for years with no discernable negative
adventures in taste or quality. The only exception I know
of is Vanilla. Vanilla beans cannot be frozen successfully.

Yeah but... You're Irish -- and have a strange affinity for Guinness
-- so your tastebuds were trashed from birth... <EG>

The Ranger

But McCormick's talks about freezing BOTTLES. Uh, no. Sealed bags of dried
herbs and spices won't let condensation in if you just remove the pinch or
so you need and seal the bag right back up. Not like shaking a bottle over
a bubbling pot.

Jill

jmcquown said:

The Ranger said:

"Charles Gifford <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
>
> McCormick Food Services disagrees with you.
>
My dear Ranger Unit. We are usually in accord. However, I
strongly feel that McCormick is wrong in most of what they
say. Freezing all spices and herbs is an effective procedure.

I'll still go with McCormick on this one. Proper storage,

Quoted message said:

I have done it for years with no discernable negative
adventures in taste or quality. The only exception I know
of is Vanilla. Vanilla beans cannot be frozen successfully.

Yeah but... You're Irish -- and have a strange affinity for

Guinness

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

-- so your tastebuds were trashed from birth... <EG>

The Ranger

But McCormick's talks about freezing BOTTLES. Uh, no. Sealed bags

of dried

Quoted message said:

herbs and spices won't let condensation in if you just remove the

pinch or

Quoted message said:

so you need and seal the bag right back up. Not like shaking a

bottle over

Quoted message said:

a bubbling pot.

Jill

Actually you're supposed to use your frozen spices to refill your
everyday-use spice bottles... then you only open the frozen spice bags
2-3-4 times before they're empty. And if you pick a dry spell (not a
hummid time) to refill spice bottles and do it expeditiously (not leave
the bag open and walk away while yentering on the cell phone) there
will be no measurable condensation... your stock of spices in the
freezer is not supposed to be your working spices, otherwise don't
bother freezing. The only reasons to freeze spices is to benefit from
bulk-buying prices, and so as not to need to make purchases so often.

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yeah but... You're Irish -- and have a strange affinity for Guinness --
so your tastebuds were trashed from birth... <EG>

The Ranger

True enough. I have indeed trashed my tastebuds. <sigh> I think it was the
ciggies not the Guinness! I've done the circuit. Young fool, fool and now
old fool. Fortunately the tastebuds needed for beer and chocolate are still
fully functional!

Charlie

Charles Gifford <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I've done the circuit. Young fool, fool and now
old fool.

I, too, one day hope to complete such a circuit.

Quoted message said:

Fortunately the tastebuds needed for beer and chocolate
are still fully functional!

And which other beers, besides Guinness Draught do you have stocked in
your extra fridge?

The Ranger
--
The 56k modem teaches us patience, humility, and the love of quiet
contemplation, grasshopper.
-- Kylie, AM Nov. '02

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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<snip>

Quoted message said:

And which other beers, besides Guinness Draught do you have stocked in
your extra fridge?

The Ranger

I have Boddingtons (in the nitrogen can) when I can afford it. When money
gets tight, I have a supply of MGD. When I am really poor I have cans of
<don't tell anyone> Pabst Genuine Draft. Normally it is Guinness or
Boddingtons. Yummy! The public house I frequent has both on tap. God bless
the landlord!

Charlie